Centre launches new portal to apply for Indian Citizenship under CAA

Digital Desk: Just a day after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notified the rules for implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the Center on Tuesday launched a new portal for people applying for citizenship under CAA. 

 

Under the CAA rules, a Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, Christian, or someone from Bangladesh, Afghanistan, who entered India before December 31, 2014, may now apply for Indian citizenship under the CAA regulations without having to provide a valid passport from one of these nations or a valid visa from India. 

 

The rules, which set conditions for the CAA's implementation, provide that "any document" proving an applicant's nationality is sufficient if it demonstrates that one of their parents, grandparents, or even great-grandparents was born in one of these nations. Additionally, they claim that a certificate from an elected local body member would be enough in place of a visa.

 

The requirement for a residence permit provided by India and a passport from Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Afghanistan has essentially been eliminated by the regulations. Instead, documentation proving the applicant's citizenship would be sufficient in the form of a certificate of birth or educational institution, "identity document of any kind," "any license or certificate," "land or tenancy records," or "any other document" provided by these nations that certify the applicant's nationality.

 

Documents demonstrating that "one or both of the applicant's parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents is or was a citizen of one of the three countries" are also acceptable. These records will remain admissible even after their expiry date.